Splintered Souls
One of Victor Lazlo's later books, Splintered Souls & Broken Auras continues in the trend of establishing Lazlo's predominance on the subject of magic and the occult. Excerpt Here is an exclusive excerpt from the book Splintered Souls & Broken Auras, with thanks to the publisher. As my long-time readers are no doubt aware, I've seen enough wonders (and horrors!) in my investigations to have developed a certain reserve. So it is with some trepidation on my part that I tell you of one of the most shocking and disturbing experiences that I have ever witnessed. All the more startling because the creature I am about to describe is said to be just one of the ordinary inhabitants of my own body! This perturbing chapter of my explorations began harmlessly enough. I was in Hong Kong, enjoying a late-night snack of Dim Sum and Tea with Tommy Tung and some of his fellow Fang Shih. As it happened, the conversation turned to Chinese alchemy. Somewhat surprised by the reverence of their tone and the respect they seemed to have for that ancient humbug, I challenged them by saying the following, "Why did those men, otherwise so incredibly learned, dwell on the notion that potions of utter poison could somehow confer immortality? It would seem that any elixir consisting mostly of mercury and lead, would be nothing less than a suicide potion!" In the hush that followed my outburst, I was suddenly embarrassed. Hoping that I had not caused offense, I attempted to apologize. Surprisingly, smiles appeared around the table and, after a few conspiratorial winks, Tommy asked if I, as a scientist, would be interested in meeting a real alchemist. In spite of my skepticism (how easy it is for we of the western way of thought to fall into the habits of the closed mind!), I agreed. Within fifteen minutes I found myself in a cavernous basement and in the company of a woman I would judge to be at least eighty years old. While Tommy, the other Fang Shih, and the woman (seemingly the proprietor of this place) discussed matters in rapid-fire Chinese, I gazed around. Here were shelves containing several thousand ancient volumes, along with an equal number of jars and bottles, each neatly labelled. On antique tables stood instruments of brass, green glass and steel. Before I was able to get my bearings, the conversation ceased and the old woman approached. She had the practiced manner of a medical doctor, taking my pulse and looking into my eyes. Tommy explained that she needed to be sure that my Chi was steady before we were to proceed with the alchemical experiment. When I protested that I felt uncomfortable with the standard alchemical ingredients (Cinnabar, after all, is a most deadly concoction of mercury!) everyone laughed. With the exception of an herb that I could not identify, each of the ingredients of the draft that I was to consume were perfectly ordinary teas and spices, plus, of course, a pinch of ginseng. Once it was determined that the potion might be having its effect, I was seated in a chair with Tommy firmly grasping me from behind, my shoulders against the chair's back. Two others stood at my sides, holding my hands to the arms of the chair. Since all three were gifted in some form or other of the martial arts, I was discomforted to see that they each braced themselves quite rigidly, as if they were expecting to exert themselves against some monstrous force. Before proceeding further, I was told to look down. The old woman made sure that my gaze was firmly directed toward my own stomach. At this point I heard the scratchy noise of some sort of speaker system and a musical tape began to play. Although I am uncertain of the exact origin of the music, it definitely had much in common with the Tibetan chants I knew so well. Eventually, the rhythmic sound seemed to penetrate all the way through my body, seeming to vibrate deeply into my internal organs and resonate through my body's inner cavity. Keeping still and not allowing myself to move in time with that terrible music was one of the most difficult feats of my entire life. Just at the time when it seemed that I could no longer contain myself, I noticed something deeply disturbing. Something was moving under my clothing, as if some creature was emerging from my own navel! It was fortunate that my three friends were holding on so tightly, for I couldn't help but struggle, in a frenzy of fearful panic, as a horrible white worm poked its way free of my shirt. Blind, it was, and trailing a dozen or more tiny tendrils, each leading back under my shirt. It seemed to be moving in time with the music, but also to be straining against the tendrils, as if it too were somehow held or constrained. Although it seemed, at the time, to be monstrous in size, it was actually only about as wide as a button hole in my shirt. It was just at the point when it seemed that the dreadful worm might extend itself further that the music suddenly stopped. The worm instantly jerked itself back and I felt a sense of odd queasiness. At that point my friends saw fit to release me! Once free, I immediately ripped open my shirt, scattering buttons across the floor. In a fit I engaged in self-examination. Yet there was nothing there. Nor any sign that anything had ever been there, nothing but my own perspiration. After recovering from my experience, Tommy translated for the aged Alchemist (whose name I was never to learn), "What you have seen, Mr. Lazlo, is but one of the Three Worms, the San Chung, that doom every mortal. It is the goal of the alchemist to kill the worms without killing the person. And to kill all the worms, since the three keep each other in balance. However, it is even more complicated than you might think, since eliminating the worms is not enough. No, there will remain another seven entities, what are called the Corpse Specters, or the Qi Yin Shih, who, unhindered by the worms, will quickly rot the body. It is the quest of the alchemist to find a formula that will kill all ten of the rotting entities, so as to avoid both age and death. Do such horrors really exist inside our bodies? Is the vile worm that I beheld actually present and responsible for our body's natural aging process? In-all honesty, I am unable to answer. ''It is more likely that I am all too suggestible and that I was merely hypnotized, or fooled by some trick or illusion. Yet, I have to admit, I find myself believing that the demonstration was a glimpse into a greater reality.''Mystic China, Pages 99-100 References Category:Books Category:Excerpts